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Up a Tree ....


Northern Trekker

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I am looking to hide a cache that would be accessible year round. I figure that would be best done by putting the cache up a tree. Does anyone have experience in finding / hiding a cache in a tree? Other ideas to keep it from being covered in snow all winter?

 

I want the cache to be found by geocachers, but not by others. Do you camouflage the cache? Do you attach it with a bungee cord? What was the cache container (Tupperware, plastic tube)?

 

Any info would be a great help.

 

Thanks, Northern Trekker

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We found a cache called NORTHER HARRIER in which the box was suspended in a tree by fishing line. The trick was that the tree was really out in the middle of nowhere - the chance of someone stumbling on it by accident was zero. That gave the cacher a lot of latitude. If you're talking about a higher-traffic area, you might rethink the concept!

 

Charlie

"One should never begin a journey by heading in the wrong direction."

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You need a fake wasp or hornet's nest to hide the cache in. Most folks leave those alone, and they look natural up in a tree as long as you have wasps or hornets in your area.

 

Another option might be a wood duck house or such, if any wildlife services occasionally put up such things in your locale.

 

Lastly, if it is an oak tree, maybe you can work up a really good fake burl or knot that lays against the trunk. This one might be hard to make look right.

 

I would also suggest a squirrel nest, but these are usually WAY up a tree in a fork where you never would be able to put them unless you were really adventuresome. Might be able to build a squirrel nest with the cache actually hanging below a fork and beneath the bulk of the nest, with enough camoflage that it cant be seen but not so much that it would hang up when you tried to lower it. I think you would need to string and pully any of these up with a black or dark string, or very heavy braided fishing line. The florescent monofiliment fishing line would glow in the sun too much and the UV from sunlight weakens it rapidly. It would probably have to be replaced yearly. If you really want to be cute, I have heard of people getting really clever doing treed caches with solar/battery powered winches that could be toggled up/down on the ground by photosensors being triggered by a laser pointer or such.

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I found a cache once that was in a piece of pipe that was painted roughly the same color as the bark of the tree. It was suspended by fishing line from a high branch and when raised it hung next to a lower branch. It darn near looked like another branch. Anyone not looking for it never would have noticed it. Finding the other end of the line was also quite a challenge, as there were many trees and bushes.

 

The only problem was that after a few dozen finds, the fishing line cut into the branch it was looped over. I lowered it fine, but when I tried to raise it, I got it halfway up before it "caught" and then I couldn't even lower it again. I managed to use a stick and get it down and then I had to throw it over the branch again so it would be in a slightly different place. Heavier fishing line or a small rope (of appropriate color) would have improved this.

 

Lil Devil lildevil.gif

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I would also remember that people of all different physical abilities participate in this sport. It should be in your cache decription if climbing will be involved. How frustrating would it be to hike to the cache, see it and not be able to get to it.

 

cool_shades.gif ---I will stand out, I am a raven in the snow.

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I encountered a cache in California that was hung from a tree with fishing line. It was actually hanging nearly over a popular hiking trail, so I was surprised it hadn't been plundered yet. You just had to find where one end of the line was attached to a nearby tree and lower the cache to get at it.

 

I also have a few caches in trees. These are in swampy areas that flood seasonally. All are in ammo boxes. One is hanging from a branch about 6 feet above the ground using a strong bungee cord.

 

The rest are lodged in the crotches of trees. One requires a small amount of climbing to get to while with the others you just have to reach up a bit

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Kelle

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At 5' 6", I'm not exactly tall, neither short. Just a few inches "below average height". I've found two caches in trees. For one, we searched until we found a suitable climbing device to reach the cache. The other, I climbed up on a fallen limb which was laying against the tree.

 

If you do place caches in trees, glance around and see if there may be a way for someone to reach it.

 

Once Upon A Time, I would not have really looked into trees. I suspect most people are similarly oblivious to their skyward surroundings. Before caching, I started birding, which trained me to look more closely at trees.

 

----------

One banana, two banana, three banana, four.

Four bananas make a bunch and so do many more.

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I found a cache which was placed in a fake bird box in the middle of the woods. It had a removable lid on the top, and a tupperware container on the inside. It was really cool!! The hole in the front was just a painted black circle. I wonder how many birds got headaches trying to fly into the bird house?? Makes you wonder huh!! icon_rolleyes.gif

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I found a cache which was placed in a fake bird box in the middle of the woods. It had a removable lid on the top, and a tupperware container on the inside. It was really cool!! The hole in the front was just a painted black circle. I wonder how many birds got headaches trying to fly into the bird house?? Makes you wonder huh!! icon_rolleyes.gif

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I love caches in trees. I have one PVC tube covered in cammo netting suspended by a rope hanging from a fork high up in a tree. The rope kind of blends in with the tree and is tied off at the bottom on a large exposed root.

 

To get the rope up there I used a slingshot and a couple of good sized rocks taped to 10 pound test fishing line. After a few tries you can get the rock up through a "Y" fork at about 50 feet or so and then you tied the heavy rope to it and haul it over.

 

Mbonescontainer.jpg

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